France and Germany Thursday (27 November) called on the European Commission to review competition rules surrounding on-line “web-platforms” – notably search engines such as Google – in order to create “a more level playing field” and encourage European companies into the market.

Multinational supermarkets could be driven out of Hungary, a trade lobby said yesterday (29 November), after the government raised their inspection costs and threatened to shut them down if they fail to make a profit for two years.

European Union governments are considering less stringent rules on how internet service providers manage traffic on their networks, according to a draft seen by Reuters, a move that could be welcomed by Europe's large telecoms operators.

As the new Competition Commissioner settles into the role, she should take the opportunity of her arrival to clarify how the EU executive communicates on competition cases, write Alec Burnside and Anne MacGregor, since the issue has landed her predecessor in hot water.